Family Matters

[Flamebird]

Althanas has many religions and belief systems. Yet, it is hard not to turn to one of these religions as particularly impactful – The Thayne. Birthed from the dying breaths of old gods when a calamity destroyed the world before Althanas, the Thaynes have a tired history of infighting and violence. Yet, they all were guides to Althanas, gifting the Tap to its people and fighting to protect it from the Forgotten Ones. Still, drifting more distant from their subjects as time went on, the Thayne have grown all but inactive in the livelihoods of their followers. Other religions have risen, such as the Church of the Ethereal Sway.

Even within their own ranks, disagreement has risen over their lack of activity. One Lesser Thayne, the outcast son of Jomil, has been doubting the pantheon more and more. Yet, he is still to voice his disagreements outright. Recently, he has been punished for interacting too much with mortal affairs, on behalf of a mortal he had taken interest in. Now, he flees from the Great Thaynes presence and towards that mortal, more confused than ever.

From the shadows of the void, eyes watch. Jomil’s firstborn, Gwenael’s sister, watches as he is pushed further from the Great Thayne. Now, she sees potential. He could be her’s! Her brother, fighting side by side as they destroy all their abusive foreparents, and their mother, loved. Question was, would Gwenael come so quickly?

N’jal was positive he just needed a push.

[Flamebird]

Whitevale was quite the town. The stone architecture was familiar and firm to Felicity Rhyolite, who called this place her home. A general of the town's military, the Brotherhood of Castigars, Felicity had responsibility to keep this haven in Corone safe. She had vowed to protect its leader, Shinsou Vaan Osiris, at any cost.

The clouds were grey and grim. They always were. Felicity looked up at the rolling clouds as she leaned against the granite wall of the barracks. Her weapons all hung to her heavy clothes, the young redhead was waiting for the next patrol. Being a general was honestly bland. The same meetings, patrols, and guardianship were good for her mental health, yes. However, Felicity was a free bird. A little variety never hurt. She sighed, crossing her arms as she looked down to the road. The citizens of Whitevale all strolled around on foot with ease. The colder weather was something everyone was used to now. As horses trudged along carrying passengers or hauling a load, the everyday business started to fade as Felicity zoned out. The same horse dung smell, the same clattering. Felicity had proven to be a fantastic fighter and general, but this job was boring! She did her best, swam through the mundane with pure effort, then spent the rest of her time trying to find something a little more exciting.

It was midday, however, and excitement had to wait. As much as Felicity grew weary of the schedules, she at least knew it meant trouble was staying out of Whitevale. As long as the peace was kept and citizens safe, she was satisfied with her tedious work. Besides, she still loved the patrols. She sighed, leaning against the bitterly cold wall. She waited for the rest of the patrol team.

She waited…

… she waited…

… just when she started hopelessly scanning the sky for birds, they came. It was a small patrol, made up by her commander Morloth and two other soldiers. The dark elf Morloth saluted his general as she lazily pushed herself off the wall. “General Rhyolite.”

Felicity straightened up, remembering the stricter personality she adopted. “Commander.” She nodded to the squad, “Let’s get going.”

The walk from the barracks to the stables was short. Whitevale had a massive stable at its main gate, where the horses were taken care of as well as the barren Corone climate allowed. The massive stables were constructed with sturdy wood and stone, with simplistic architecture that matched the rest of the town. Whitevale was it’s own city state in the divided country of Corone, yet it still owned some land beyond the walls that were regularly patrolled and protected. Felicity loved it out there. Inside the towering, thick walls she felt safe. However, outside was that sense of adventure she always craved. As she mounted her white mare, Chamomile, Felicity looked forward to the silent ride ahead.

Indeed, upon leaving the looming gates of her city, the patrol was met with rolling hills and crumbling road. The grass was finally starting to grow back as the ash clouds above loosened its grip. Yet, the ash rain made it hard for anything to purely grow. The farms at the other end of the walled city were failing. It took imported rations from the mainland of Althanas to keep the town properly fed. As the horses galloped, the pounding of hooves filled the air with a passive lull. Felicity was able to admire the ground as fresh patches of grass finally showed up again.

As usual, the patrol was quiet. There were no obvious threats to be seen, and the patrol shared few words as they covered all the checkpoints. Passing a dilapidated country house, Felicity heard one soldier ask another why they were not recycling the materials from the abandoned property.

Felicity looked up to the sky as Chamomile enjoyed the run. Felicity would be happy to report that everything was quiet and peaceful. Yet, she felt that familiar sadness. She enjoyed these rides, but she was also saddened by how eerily still it all was. As they passed some broken down oak fences, the melancholy was affirmed. Felicity’s eyes narrowed. Her teacher and leader, Lord Osiris, was safe within the gates of Whitevale. Out there, however, was another loved one. Gwenael was not yet back from his latest summoning to the Great Thayne? Was he alright?

He had become Felicity’s guide throughout life, suggesting to her where to go and what to do. Gwenael had convinced her to join the Brotherhood in the first place after Shinsou initially asked. Gwenael was a Lesser Thayne, one of the pantheon of lower status in their internal rankings. Felicity came from a line of Hromagh worshippers, though her uncle had grown distant from that faith and her cousin revered Trisgen instead. Felicity herself revered Gwenael, yet also considered him a strange kind of friend.

Where was he?

The silent landscape refused to answer.

[Flamebird]

”How dare a gnat like you disregard our ways!”

“You are a Lesser Thayne, under our guidance and authority, Gwenael. I always expected better from you...”

“I value freedom and rebellion, but this! It- it is-”

“Unacceptable…”

Gwenael winced at the harsh memories. The brutal disappointment and anger of the Great Ones made his pale cheeks burn red.

“As of now,” Khal’jaren spat in a calm, disapproving voice, “You are barred, Lesser Thayne, from our affairs in this world.”

“As always,” Y’edda crossed her arms, “You have your place in Phantaria and your realm, but that is all. You no longer have the right to meddle in our affairs.”

“If you cannot follow our rules,” Hromagh scowled, “You will not be allowed to govern with us. All of your projects, abandon. We revoke your permissions.”

Gwenael felt his heart sink. He was watching several mortals affected by the Thayne then left, and being told that he was not allowed to see them again was…

He shook his head. A certain individual crossed his mind. She was more than the mortal he was guiding. She was… important to him… Was he truly barred from her? He had promised her he would come back!

“Your mind,” Y’edda raised an eyebrow, “Your mind jumped to a certain being you watch.”

“Good!” Hromagh boomed, “Let him suffer in his thoughts!”

“Wait,” Y’edda’s watchful gaze fell upon him, eyes glowing as she read his mind perfectly, even his subconscious. “This one, we cannot bar.”

Surprise rose from all the Thaynes, save the perfectly still Jomil, as they turned to her.

“Y’edda?” Khal’jaren clasped his insectoid hands, “I have read his mind as well. This will be the most refining part of his punishment.”

“No,” Y’edda did not take her eyes off Gwenael, “No matter what we say, he cannot be kept from that one. I see the roots of rebellion well. We must prevent them from spreading…”

“So we just let him?” Hromagh scoffed in disbelief, “Why?!”

Y’edda’s eyes narrowed. Gwenael felt the strangest sensations as he felt her muddle in his subconsciousness, “This particular shadow is not just a mission, it is a need. Like mortals need air.”

“But she is the reason he rebelled in the first place!” Hromagh stormed.

“Let him return to his root, pathetic and stripped of most rights.” Y’edda finally turned to face them, “And remembering the mercy of the Great Thaynes.”

“Mercy…” Jomil finally spoke, still as ice, before returning to silence.

Khal’jaren sighed, bowing his head to the goddess of trickery, “Very well.”

Hromagh turned to Gwenael, breathing smoke from his nostrils. A roar started, low and low before steadily rising to a deafening wind. As Gwenael ducked, bracing under his wrath, Hromagh screamed, “Now get out of here!”

Gwenael immediately obliged. As he left their presence, he was acutely aware of Jomil’s silent glare.

Gwenael sighed. He leaned against a dead tree as the landscape of Corone stretched outwards. His faith was shaken, yet he remained under their thumbs. Confusion swirled. He had found a handful of individuals with potential, then was forced to abandon all but one. He mourned for them. The young warrior of Raiaera, blessed by Trisgen for saving a village singlehandedly from the undead. The scientist of Alerar, blessed by Khal’jaren after many prayers to learn the secrets of cancer. Gwenael was forced to, after taking on the role of a guide, abandon them.

Tears were streaming from his eyes.

Yet, the Thayne allowed him to return to one. The one who came from a small lineage blessed by Hromagh, then Jomil. The Rhyolite family was full of remarkable people, but Felicity Rhyolite was by far the greatest. Gwenael was convinced she could leave an impact on Althanas as a whole, go down in the history books. Yet, she was more than that to him. She was a friend, the only one he had. Yes, certain Lesser Thayne like Trisgen and Am’aleh pitied him and had warm thoughts, but they were not personal friends. Felicity Rhyolite, however, encouraged him in his Thaynehood and constantly affirmed him. She was one of the only people who could reach his isolated, lonely heart. His thoughts burned for her, and his desire to be with her, somehow closer, grew stronger daily. She was constantly in his thoughts. And even his body felt strange, though he did not know why, when he thought of her.

Gwenael wiped the tears from his eyes. The Thayne truly spared him despair when they allowed him to continue his shadowing of her. For this, he remembered their mercy despite his disobedience. With thoughts swirling in his head, he looked up to the darkening sky. Tonight, he returned to her, where he felt truly appreciated.

The Thayne never gave him such kinship.

[Flamebird]

Felicity’s house was, as always, a mess. Clutter laid around the small household, furniture crooked. There were no rugs and portraits, the walls were not painted. The bare bones house of wood was tightly insulated against the cold, and the fireplace roared, but that was all. It was a small house with a meager three rooms. The small kitchen area in a corner was in the massive, mostly empty room that was meant to be a visiting area. Felicity hardly had visitors, however. The single thing of interest in this large, vacant space was the collection of hung up weapons on one of the longer walls. Below it, a series of boxes containing random odds and ends just waited to be unpacked and used. Felicity had no such desires to decorate.

A small chest was shoved into the corner as well, holding some of the more important belongings she owned. Her journals from adventures in Corone, Raiaera and Dheathian; her ice mirror; her late cousin’s trinket of Trisgen, common to the Coronian Rangers… Even this chest was rough and unstained. Felicity sighed, dropping her bag onto the long floor as she trudged towards the doorway to her room. Her boots scuffed against the floor, leaving more marks on the floorboards, as she stalked in.

Her room consisted of a simplistic bed with white sheets, a glorious grandfather clock that was an oddity in this bare bone house, plus a dresser and closet. Exiting the bedroom, one would walk into the tiny restroom. Felicity walked straight to the bed and landed face first on it.

Well, it had been another day.

She flopped onto her back, slowly kicking off her shoes. As they thudded onto the dusty floor, Felicity looked up to the ceiling. Another spider made its home in the corner. She sighed, remembering her late night conversations with Osiris and recalling the desire to keep him from harm. If only Gwenael was here to protect as well…

Wait, protect? Gwenael? He was a Thayne! He needed no protection!

Yet, her memories of his wings on the ground, his slouching form looking up the Felicity with deep sadness, never left her. Gwenael was… like herself in a sense. Physically and magically powerful, emotionally weak. Felicity missed him dreadfully, his bizarre personality and desires for justice. Yet, the pathetic title of “Lesser” Thayne held him back. He was so, so much more. She could feel it in her bones…

Felicity continued to look up at the ceiling, watching as the spiders spun intricate webs in the corner. She had no desire to take them down. This house was where she slept and kept things, that was it. She barely spent time here. The soundproof walls, added for the protection of the neighborhood as she screamed of night terrors, let in little light from the shudder barred windows. It was nighttime, and the stars shone brightly outside. Apathetic to the fresh, cold air out there, the redhead closed her eyes without changing into pajamas. At one point, she sneezed from the dusty, thick air, but that was it. As she slept lightly, she was unaware of any sights or sounds until… her magic sense suddenly blared. Green eyes flashed open as she awoke to a powerful presence. She leapt from the bed, which moaned tightly, and darted to the living room. The crackling of the fireplace out there lit the room, allowing anyone to see clearly. This magical energy was by no means dark, but Felicity was too paranoid to take chances. Besides, it was in her house!

“I am so member of the Brotherhood’s military!” She shouted, barefoot and unkempt, “I am more than qualified to beat your-“

She stopped with a loud gasp. The individual in her living room was…

“Gwenael!” The townsfolk were once again lucky the walls were soundproof.

There Gwenael stood. His pale form bore long, white hair. His lithe frame was clothed with white silk, the multiple owl wings lifted in joy upon seeing her. His eyes were the bearers of clocks, ticking in accurate time as starlight glowed in his eyes. The light of the fireplace danced against his glowing figure. He offered her a small smile as she stood there, tears flooding her eyes. “You’re here…”

“Of course.” Gwenael’s ethereal voice echoed as if distant, but was close at the same time. “I did promise.”

Felicity rapidly wiped her tears, smiling. She giggled, a rarity these days. “Of course you did!”

After long last, he was back by her side.

[Flamebird]

Close to the restocked fireplace, the small chest was used as a table. A glass of water was at Felicity's side as she placed another card down. "I change it to red."

Gwenael smirked as he looked at the cards. "You know I have to block my Thayne Sight to play this, or I'd know your cards."

Felicity scoffed, "How do I know you're not using Thayne Sight though?"

Gwenael placed down a red two card. "You've been winning."

Felicity had two cards, Gwneael had six. That Draw Four had been nasty...

The windows had been cracked open to allow some fresh air into the building. Crickets and frogs resounded outside as Felicity pulled out a red five and put it down. "Uno!"

Gwenael smiled. He was happy to be in this mortal's company again. As they continued playing the game, Gwenael was lucky to draw a draw two from the deck and save himself. As the game continued, Gwenael's treatment by the Thayne kept coming back to him. The reds and yellows of the cards reminded him of Hromagh's wrath. And when the color was switched to blue, he remembered Jomil's cold stature the whole time. He shivered.

"Gwenael?"

Gwenael noticed that Felicity was watching him. The excitement from slamming another draw four down had dissolved into a concerned, simple frown. "Are you alright?"

Gwenael looked down at the two cards in his hand. Both were green. Gwenael reached and pulled four from the deck, "It was rough, being back in Phantaria."

With caution in her cracking voice, Felicity tilted her head to the side. "What happened?"

The desire to spill everything flooded Gwenael's heart. He needed to pour his emotions out to somebody. He was thankful to be with her, saddened by the others he was forced to abandon, and chilled to the bone by Jomil's bitter silence. The rest of the Thayne, he was terrified of them. Yet, Jomil stood out to him more than anything else. His mother had muttered two words in that entire meeting, and her expression had never changed. Gwenael's wings hit the floor, sending dust clouds up. He looked up to Felicity, who had lowered her hand so low her cards were visible. Her concern was genuine, he was a genuine friend. Yet, the mess that was the Thayne Pantheon was too complex to let her in on - especially since she was a mortal. Besides that, looking into Felicity's mind, her own head was cluttered with the dirt and garbage of sadness, anger, and shame. No, he could not tell her.

He shook his head, "It's a Thayne matter. Not a mortal's business."

[Flamebird]

Felicity's clenched her cards, wrinkling them, as hot anger bubbled in her chest. Gwenael had said that before, when they first met, but he had opened up to her since then. As his otherworldly eyes gazed back at his cards, she could tell he was avoiding eye contact. She was used to the shyness of shame he showed, she felt it herself. She realized that for all the assertive confidence he developed back in the chase of Arius, he was now diminished to what he had been prior again - the Great Thayne's pathetic dog. Felicity hissed, leaning closer to the huddled Thayne. "Tell me."

Gwenael closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Not this time, Lassie."

The somber tone of his voice caused Felicity to pull back. He was just about begging her to let this go. Felicity was the kind of person who need pursued, as she needed to open up. Gwenael, however, was a different case. He had spent his entire life alone, and he needed time alone to process and come to terms in.

The cards slipped from Felicity's hand, landing all over the chest and floor below.

Gwenael set down his cards, face down, with a sigh. He brought a hand up to his forehead, "Game over, huh?"

Felicity looked downwards, towards the cup of water she had not touched. "Yeah..."

The air was now filled with the sound of night's creatures and the fireplace's crackling.

After a long moment of silence, Felicity's magic sense flared again. She looked up to Gwenael, knowing it was coming from him. To her alarm, Gwenael looked surprised, looking down at his hand. Felicity recognized the symbol, it was the mark on her own back, barely visible. Gwenael's Mark was given to individuals of his choosing, so he could teleport to or near them at will. As the mark on his hand glowed, he raised an eyebrow. "I'm not..."

He started to glow. The magical energy grew still as sparks of Tap energy floated around him in sparkles. He was bathed in golden white. Felicity knew this well, he was about to teleport. She never knew of an instance where he was forced to teleport against his will, and that protective nature caused her to act without thinking. As his body was engulfed, she reached out. The glass fell, the water spilling, as she touched his arm - then - the room was empty.

[Flamebird]

Confusion.

Why was he teleporting?

He knew Felicity was with him, had placed her hand on him before the teleport. As the world sparked and buzzed, Gwenael peered out into the realm he had transported to. Felicity clung tightly to his arm, dizzy from the insane levels of magical energy. Her magic sense was overloaded, and she was frozen. As Felicity squeezed his arm, Gwenael’s eyes easily adapted to the new location. They were on solid ground. Cool grass was at their bare feet, wet from night dew. This was obviously far from Corone, but Gwenael could tell this was not Phantaria either. Looking up at the clear sky, Gwenael breathed in cold night air. Looking in one direction, Gwenael noticed the landscape bending downwards. Peering through, he noticed that it lead to a rocky beach. Gwenael refocused, looking to the opposite direction. This was a boulder coated, mountainous island with pine tree forests spreading inland. Their location – the grassy hills between the beach and forest.

There were multiple boulders surrounding them. The winding hills were spotted with one or two ferns here and there, but it was mostly just short grasses. As Gwenael felt Felicity come to next to him, Gwenael’s energy focused inwards.

I – no – we teleported. Why? I have never lost control of my own powers before, and I do not know of this place. No, that means some sort of power teleported me here. But the only thing capable of handling a Thayne like that is-

Felicity gasped. Gwenael turned to see her squinting as she tried to focus on one of the boulders. Her magic sense was flaring again, and Gwenael could feel that the energy was so dark, so evil, it was causing her pain. From behind the boulder, a figure stepped out. A silhouette against the star spotted night sky, Gwenael was able to confirm his theory right there and then.

“Another Thayne.”

He himself was unable to read the figures mind. Her powers were equal, if not greater, than his own. She was able to prevent his Thayne Sight from penetrating her mind. Yet, he immediately knew who this shadowed woman was…

“N’jal?”

The figure turned her head to face them. Unnatural darkness prevented him from seeing her face as she tilted her head. “What is that mortal doing here?” She spat in curious apathy.

[Flamebird]

Felicity had sensed dark magic before. The Tenebraen powers that burned inside Lord Osiris like potent acid; the sickening smog of the corrupted familiars of Arius. Yet all of that paled in comparison to the wretched creature before her. The vast majority of Thayne she sensed were neutral in magical energy, but the evil alignment in this one was obvious as a burning summer day. And when Gwenael spoke her name, Felicity knew why… This was N’jal! The Fallen Forsaken. The dark Thayne who fell from the Pantheon, dedicated to the destruction of all that was good in Althanas! The Thayne of Death. Her magical energy was one of the most horrific things she ever felt. Pain seared her as she clung to Gwenael, light headed as nausea flooded her.

She fell to her knees regurgitating her stomach’s contents as the dark one asked of her presence. It was a voice similar to Gwenael’s, distant echoes yet clear in her mind. Felicity looked up, panting as the pain still bolted through her like lightning. Gwenael stepped forward, his sturdy talons gripping the dirt as his wings fluffed. “She teleported with me.” He explained, his voice loud and bold, “What do you want?”

Felicity noticed the slight twitch of one of his wings.

N’jal laughed, “Of course the mortal crumples to her feet when she sees me!”

Felicity’s face exploded in heat. Her face went red as her chest tightened in embarrassment. Gwenael spoke as she looked down, unable to control how the magical energies made her flinch.

“Stop. Just tell me what you want.”

N’jal’s voice was slightly lower, “What do I want? Dear brother, after all these years I have finally met you.”

Anger flared in Gwenael’s voice. Felicity looked down to the grasses below, struggling not to cry from the pain. “Leave me alone, Fallen! Jomil told me all about you!”

“Jomil!” N’jal spat. Felicity turned her head away. The pain kept her on the ground, but hearing the venom in her voice. “The wretch lies! Boy, allow me to show you the truth. Not about me, however. No, about you!”

Suddenly, the magical energy dissipated. Felicity gasped, the pain gone and her own energy returning at rapid speeds. For the moment, she was relieved. Able to breathe well, however, Felicity realized with a jolt why she was at peace.

She looked up. They were gone. Felicity leapt to her feet, panic rising as she looked around the rocky landscape. They were gone. N’jal was gone. Gwenael was gone.

“Gwenael?” Felicity muttered. Flashes of memory invaded her mind. Her cousin's death. The news of her uncle’s passing. Even the terrifying moment Shinsou was sucked into a portal to hell… They were gone. Gwenael was gone… he…

“No!” She subconsciously hugged herself. Her legs shifted as she shook her head. “No, no, no…”

A single scream erupted from the quiet island landscape. “Not again!”

[Flamebird]

In that instant, Gwenael found himself transported. He was deep in the mountainous forests of the island. The sound of running water bubbled. He looked down to see that he was standing next to a small river, running towards the beach far off and below. Fireflies and nocturnal animal eyes lit up what the sun was unable to reach beneath the pine canopy.

N'jal stood at the other side of the river, standing atop a rock.

"Gwenael," She asked in a surprisingly calm voice, with how loud the river was, "You are the Thayne of Time. You can see all of history. Tell me, how do you feel about the Thayne's choices?"

Gwenael scowled. She was trying to pursway him away from the Great Ones! And where was Felicity?

N'jal crossed her arms. The bottom of her black robe was being lightly sprayed with water vapor. "The girl is safe, but how did history play out to make her the way it did? Should the Thayne be proud?"

Gwenael narrowed his eyes. Feeling hot with emotion, he spat, "Shut up! I won't answer to you!"

N'jal was unmoved, "You will not? Pity, being a mindless follower must be all the rage in these times."

Gwenael scoffed at the mockery in her tone, "You abandoned the Thayne! You plan to twist everything good in the world!"

"I do?" N'jal lifted a tainted finger to her lips, mimicking shock. "My plans are to change the world, yes, but for the better." She lowered her hand, waving it towards her brother, "Tell me, how does the world look right now? Remember the recent tragedies to overtake it?" She glared, "Did the Thayne do anything to stop it?"

Gwenael bit his lip. As the river divided them, he briefly thought to how helpless they seemed. Clamoring in anxiety, there had been talk amongst them, but... What was Gwenael thinking? The Thayne still cared! He shook his head, ridding himself of the polluting doubts she attempted to plant.

"Deceiver!" He threw his arm, voice raised way higher than needed to talk over the stream.

N'jal simply tilted her head. "Stubborn."

Then, she smirked, "Runs in the family."

She lifted her hand and snapped her fingers.

[Flamebird]

The moonlit world around her was blurred and far away. Panting, Felicity grasped her chest as she tried to think clearly.

Calm down! You can work through this!

Even then, the memory of Shinsou being robbed from her by Arius replayed in her mind. Memories even further back, of her uncle and cousin's deaths, also rolled. And she saw Gwenael's face in her mind; the fragile Lesser Thayne with frustrations and doubts.

She shook her head. Heart pounding. He can take care of himself, Fel! He's still a Thayne!

But against the Forgotten One?

She bit her lip, struggling. Beyond Gwenael, what about her? She had no idea where she was and how to get back. Shinsou and the Brotherhood flickered in her mind. She bit down, making her lip bleed.

The grasses at her feet began to wilt as she accidentally activated her nuclear powers. Anger exploded. She turned and balled her fist. She stalked a couple paces to one of the boulders and slammed her fist into it. The rock cracked, a solid puncture appearing similar to an asteroid hit on the earth. Felicity barked a curse, her anxiety soaring. She gritted her teeth.

"Why am I so useless!"